All Chapters of Changing My Future and Leaving Them Behind: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Sophie's POVBy the time I finally managed to hail a cab, I was soaked to the bone. The sudden downpour had plastered my dress to my skin, and I had never looked more depressed.As the cab rolled past the beverage shop, I glanced out the window.Through the curtain of rain, I saw Flynn casually take a sip from Juniper's drink. She immediately reached over to snatch his cup in return. Before long, they were laughing and wrestling over their drinks.On the other side of the class, they looked like the leads in a rom-com. On my side, I looked like a refugee who had just stumbled out of a disaster zone.I stared for two seconds before quietly looking away. Then I dropped the milk candies I had been clutching the entire way into the trash bag hanging behind the driver's seat.That morning, before we had left, Flynn had absentmindedly slipped a few candies into my pocket and flicked the hair tie around my wrist with a smile."Sophie, you little airhead. You forgot you have severe hypo

Sophie's POV"Sophie!"Juniper chased after me soon after. I didn't know how long I ran, but at some point, I heard a muffled cry for help behind me. Instantly, I stopped.I turned and saw Juniper trapped at the entrance of an alley, surrounded by a group of drunk men. My heart stopped.Juniper had once told me about what happened to her when she was a child. It was the deepest wound she still carried to this day.My hands trembled as I called the police. When I was about to reach for her, my mind went blank. Without thinking, I rushed forward and shielded her instead.Flynn arrived before the police. The drunk men scattered the moment they saw him."Flynn… Candies…" I muttered weakly.The stress and exhaustion finally caught up to me. My blood sugar crashed. My whole body trembled, and my vision started fading.Driven by instinct, I ignored the state of my torn clothes and the humiliation I felt. I reached out toward him helplessly. He walked toward me step by step, and I tho

Third-Person POVAs dusk fell, the chat between Flynn and Sophie remained silent. Not a single reply came from her.Sitting alone in his car, Flynn subconsciously tightened his grip on his phone. For the first time, he panicked, albeit just a little.Sophie had never been the type to leave someone's messages unanswered. She had only four pinned chats—her mother, her father, Juniper, and him.Ever since they were kids, every contact in her phone had its own unique nickname, notification sound, and chat wallpaper.Once, he had asked her, "You've had this phone number forever. Don't you ever get tired of it? Why not get a better one?"She had simply shaken her head. "I've used this number for so long. I can't bear to change it."Flynn knew how sentimental Sophie was. When they were five, he had given her a little stuffed rabbit. Even after one of its ears fell off, she refused to throw it away.Later, he secretly tossed it out for her, and she cried for an entire month. Buying her

Third-Person POVSince that day, Flynn searched for Sophie like a man possessed. He called every phone number he could think of and tracked down every person who might know something.The list ranged from a distant relative who had only met Sophie once, to a classmate who had passed her homework back in high school, to the street vendor who sold omelet rolls.As long as someone had crossed paths with Sophie, even briefly, he refused to leave them alone.Still, nobody knew which country the Linwoods had moved to. He searched immigration records, combed through the school's archives, and even asked people to investigate the study-abroad agency that had handled her application.Yet, it was as if she had vanished off the face of the earth. Gone was every trace of her from the city.At first, Flynn had told himself it was okay. No matter where Sophie had gone, he could always get there too and follow her. She had walked 99 steps toward him, and it was time for him to take that last st

Sophie's POVI stayed silent for a moment before gently shaking my head. "Flynn, I used to believe that if I worked hard enough and stood on your level, you'd finally see me. But later, I realized love doesn't work that way."I spent so many years chasing after you that, somewhere along the way, I forgot who I was. I gave up painting—the one thing I loved most—and forced myself to focus on academics, all so I could stand beside you."But your taking me for granted taught me something. The most worthwhile thing a person can do is live a life they truly want. So, Flynn… let's just leave the past where it belongs."Flynn's eyes reddened. "I really know I messed up, Sophie. I…"Before he could finish, his gaze fell to the diamond ring on my left hand. His voice caught, and colors faded from his face. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the rest of his words.It wasn't until much later that I learned what he had left unsaid. He had wanted to tell me about his illness that was slow